What is the best data backup system?

[chupacabra]

Hi, I’ve got around 3TB of data (majority of it are video files, around 2.5TB) that I would like to have automatically backed up.
Till now I have been using free Easeus 3.5 and option of incremental backup. First it does full backup and after once a week it does a backup of latest changes. It keeps 2 versions of a backup in case I accidently delete something.
Recently I heard that incremental backup is very convenient but it’s actually not very safe. Allegedly when one of the backups will fail or will get corrupted then every next incremental backup will be corrupted as well?
Is that actually true? If yes what would be best solution to that?

Also I have couple of other questions regarding data backup

1. Can someone recommend me what is the best system (secure and convenient) of backing up data? I mean which particular software and how to set backup schedule?
My main aim is to keep data safe from hard drive failure, backup failure and accidental deleting files.
2. Which is the best free and paid program for it?
3. Is File History in Windows 8 a good software for data backup?
4. Do I need to backup App Data folder? Till now I’ve been backing it up, but this is the worst folder to backup or to restore, it has huge amount of files and I’m not sure if there is anything worth backing up inside it.
5. If I store my data on 2-bay external drive configured in RAID 1, do I need to store another copy somewhere else? If yes should it be a copy of original files or copy of the backup is fine?
6. Is there a program that can do scheduled shadow copy of files and folders rather than creating a single compressed file of backing up data? Something like Dropbox or mirroring in RAID 1
7. Is it safer to back up onto another internal SATA drive or external USB hard drive?
8. What is the difference between incremental and differential backup? Which one is better?

 

[KGB7]

Lets start with hardware. If you want the best back up for safety reasons do to hardware failure or what ever reason, then you want raid 0+1. This will give you speed and data safety. You can do raid 0+10, the sky is the limit that is dictated by your wallet.

Compare different types of RAID's and see what fits your budget and needs. As it can get very expensive as i mentioned before.


Incremental back up is fine, it backs up latest files/ newest files. It doesnt back up the entire encyclopedia from scratch, just new files that were recently added after last back up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incremental_backup


As far as free software, i cant recommend any at this time as i cant guarantee they will perform or get the job done to your standards. And since there is a A LOT of data is involved, i will stay clear of any free software recommendations.

 

[F5ing]

I'd caution against considering RAID as a significant component in a backup strategy. Although it can be great to guard against a drive failure (even multiple drives failures with higher RAID levels) you should also consider:

- more complexity = more points of failure
- one power surge can wipe it all out
- no safeguard against accidental file deletion or virus protection
- no native file versioning

There's probably a few more that I've not listed. Don't get me wrong, it can be great if you're worried about uptime with drive failure(s), need the read/write speeds, etc. Best to get a hardware based RAID system if you decide to go that route (for performance). And research how you will recover from the possible failures. Best to know ahead of time to provide for the most graceful recovery.

For myself, for how I use the machines, I don't need it. One of the two main machines I use has RAID built into the motherboard but I've got it disabled. Also have a RAID expansion card but don't used it. It was surplus, only installed to make sure it worked then removed.

I would use imaging and standard backup to be able to recover from machine failures. Keep the OS and apps separate from data (either on a separate partition, another disk or another machine). That way you can do occasional images for the OS and apps, and then standard backup for your data.

For imaging, you can use something like Macrium Reflect (free)*. You probably only really need to make an image every month or so. Add a lot of apps, do a lot of tweaking, install a service pack or add a slew of updates, do it more often.

For data backup, there are plenty of apps out there, including freeware. I would make sure it backs up files to a standard, rather than proprietary format. That way you don't have to worry so much of the hazards of incremental and differential backups. If it's proprietary and you're doing incrementals, the last full and every single incremental afterward need to be intact for a complete restore. If you're doing differential, only the last full and the last differential need to be intact. If the last differential is corrupt you can try the prior differential. If that one doesn't work go back one more, etc.

I use Cobian backup for data, and have been for about 10 years. Standard file format, versioning, incremental, every 3 hours (I think that's where I last adjusted it to), to a separate disk. It'll use shadow copy for locked files. Every so often I'll move the last full plus incrementals to a bare drive mounted in a dock (mounted only long enough for the transfer). That drive ends up going off-site. Three different drives are cycled through that dock, all encrypted, two always at separate locations.

I rely on Cobian only for one machine. No data that needs backing up is kept on any others.

* - For the record, I personally don't rely on Macrium Reflect for my machines. I've got it installed on two of them, and have tested by restoring to ensure it works. And I know plenty of others that rely on it. I've used Clonezilla for about 7 or 8 years now, and have used it to restore all kinds of machines over the years, never failed, so I stick with it. But Clonezilla's a bit geeky for most. So for family, friends and others I recommend Macrium. There are others as well that I've tested, but it's been awhile. DriveImageXML and Drive Snapshot both have worked in the past.

I wouldn't worry about the AppData folder (Win7 and earlier, not too sure about 8.x as I never really thoroughly explored it - I just rely on images for the 8.x machines anyway), especially if you decide to make occasional images.

File History in Windows 8? Haven't tested or even played with. To be honest, other than Win 7 shadow file copy (which was set up as default and was reliable) the last time I relied on MS backup/restore solutions was back in the DOS 3.3 days. I wish they had kept that shadow file copy in 8. I get a lot of calls for file recovery. If they've got 7 I can tell them how to do it over the phone. With 8 I've got to have the machine. I run into very few people that bother to set up any kind of backup.

 

[Trip]

Here are some more recommendations for doing image and file-level backups from Windows. These are both paid solutions and I've been running them on my machines and those of clients for some time now, and have restored using both, always with 100% success (*knock on wood*).

First, for disk imaging of OS/App partitions and drives, I use a product called Ocster Backup Pro. It does infinite reverse-incrementals (like Veeam for virtual machines), whereby it creates a full backup of the disk image the first time, and then for all subsequent incrementals, it "injects" any changes into that virtual disk, then creates trailing archives, incremented at however often the backups are scheduled. The advance of this approach is the "full" image is always a copy of the most recent state of the backup, and the increments are only needed as far back in time as one would want to go. This makes restoration typically much faster if all you need to do is get back up and running based on your latest backup, because no synthesizing is needed to build the latest image -- it's done every time.

For folder/file-level backup, SyncBack Pro is and has been a solid product for years. I have found it's more feature-rich, bug-free and better supported than most other Windows solutions. Functionally, it's very similar to Cobian; I've just found it's performance and usability to be that much better, even for the small investment required.

Like F5ing said, I like having separate OS/App and user data partitions/drives, as imaging works best on the former, and file-level mirroring/versioning works best on the latter. I run both of those backups to a local network drive, then mirror a copy of my lighter-weight user data (no heavy/fat media) to Strato HiDrive for offsite storage/access. This gives me a solution whereby user data is backed up and available locally and remotely, and the OS/App data is imaged locally for quick restore. OS/Apps would be a pain to restore piecemeal in the event of theft/fire, but since that stuff isn't unique to me, it's more expendable, and I'm willing to accept that tradeoff in order to save backup time and resources.

Hope those thoughts help!

 

[ChristineBCW]

Backups are nothing.

Restores are everything.

I recommend a 180-degree turn in your concept and focus on Restores. And the first question - maybe the only question - to confront is

"How much work are you willing to do?"

Incrementals are easy on backups but can be a PAIN in Restores. And since I value Restores far more than Backup (and users and paying customer do to!), then I want to make Restores as easy and quick as possible.

If you've got to wade thru 10,000 files because a User "can't quite remember where the file is, or what the name is", just imagine 200,000 files. And then, imagine doing that twice, or three or ten times.

RESTORES become all-important then. Especially when some SysAdmin has bragged about his "great backup system". Yeah. riiight... no one but the SysAdmin gives a flip about the Backup Process and any of its flashing lights and doodads. They ONLY care about their files that they've accidentally deleted "maybe a week or two ago. Certainly, I used them a month or two ago..."

(In the SysAdmin Manual, I think the definition of "GOING POSTAL" is close to this event.)

 

[ChristineBCW]

I would also join the crowd that's kicking around Win8's History. Cloning is better. Honest. Plus, Microsoft's lackadaisical attitude towards supporting old backups (and many businesses are legally required to save digital data longer than Microsoft supports these Backup Systems) makes them absolutely terrifying - worse than worthless, in fact.

 

[stevech]

Cloning is a REAL backup. I've used Acronis for this for years and several times it has saved my butt.
I also do imaging, but I count on it only for getting files, not a bootable disk.

My main file level backup is the "Time Backup" in Synology's DSM. It keeps the last n months of versions of files in VIP folders I've designated. I've used this often to recover from human error.

 

[mervincm]

Focus on Restore, not Backup > best advice
Yes a bad/missing incremental can invalidate anything after that one. You can mitigate this risk by adding a full into your schedule.
I don't like to use a clone for such a large amount of data, instead I prefer to separate data from OS disk at the source, then clone the OS disk, and do file level backups on the data.

RAID is for up time, not for backups. Everyone needs solid backup. Once you have that, if you can live with downtime, you don't always need raid.

Data should exist in three places. The main location, a backup copy, and an offline copy.

 

[microchip]

I have a very simple setup here. I backup weekly, usually on Saturdays, on an external disk using "rsync" http://rsync.samba.org/ . The disk is used only for backup so it only gets hooked up when I need to do a backup so other times it's not running at all. This is a very simple solution that has worked for me for years now. It even saved me a few times when I had to restore everything onto a new partition.

 

[F5ing]

Focus on Restore, not Backup > best advice

I think this goes without saying. On top of that, though, is that you don't know if you even have valid backups if you haven't proven you can successfully restore them. This can be mitigated if you use a backup app that saves your personal data files in a non-proprietary format. Select a few of them and make sure you can open them properly.

Yes a bad/missing incremental can invalidate anything after that one. You can mitigate this risk by adding a full into your schedule.

Also can be mitigated by using what I mentioned above (backing up your data files in a non-proprietary format). One may go corrupt but the rest are still usable.

RAID is for up time, not for backups. Everyone needs solid backup. Once you have that, if you can live with downtime, you don't always need raid.

Ditto that (adding that RAID can also be for speed). RAID also adds complexity that you need to learn how to deal with. I cringe when I hear RAID mentioned as a backup solution.

 

[stevech]

It is often said, and is true: RAID is not a backup. It's needed for mid-sized NASes with lots of disk drives. No prudent (IMO) for 2 bay.

3-2-1 backups.
http://www.40tech.com/2012/06/12/follow-the-3-2-1-backup-rule-to-safeguard-your-files/

The most likely causes of data loss...
Human error
Theft
File system corruption/virus/ransomware (all RAID drives)
NAS mainboard or power supply failure

 

[voll381]

I suggest you try CLOUDBACKO Data Backup Wizard, it is a best data backup software http://free.cloudbacko.com/?r=1d and very fast, secure and easy. You can save up to 100 TB of free data storage. Try it.

 

[htismaqe]

Focus on Restore, not Backup > best advice

Yes.

Data should exist in three places. The main location, a backup copy, and an offline copy.

And yes.

 

[TonyH]

Cloning is a REAL backup. I've used Acronis for this for years and several times it has saved my butt.
I also do imaging, but I count on it only for getting files, not a bootable disk.

My main file level backup is the "Time Backup" in Synology's DSM. It keeps the last n months of versions of files in VIP folders I've designated. I've used this often to recover from human error.

Hi,
+1 and whoever thinks Raid is bullet proof back up is fool. I have two sets of back up, incremental weekly on site and another set stored off site. I have
a semi-annual burned mirror image of my main PC which is last thing I can depend on when all else fails. Keeping back up needs strong patience and discipline.

 

[stevech]

I suggest you try CLOUDBACKO Data Backup Wizard, it is a best data backup software http://free.cloudbacko.com/?r=1d and very fast, secure and easy. You can save up to 100 TB of free data storage. Try it.

100TB free? Really?
That link takes me to a page where I must supply a login to social web sites, Microsoft's private something. None of which I'd use. And I doubt 100TB is free.

 

[azazel1024]

I keep wanting to spend the time and money to get a cheap 500GB 2.5" external drive and backup all of my important stuff on it and then stuff it in my safe deposite box as a just in case.

Still haven't gotten around to it.

That said, I do have a primary and secondary of everything and I periodically (at least a couple of times a year) backup to a 640GB external HDD that is left disconnected and squirreled away the rest of the year. Speaking of which, I think it is time for my quarterly backup.

PS sadly it does nothing for backing up things like my video collection, which I'd be pretty pissed if I lost, but I'd be devestated if I lost things like my family pictures and stuff, which have the triple backup.

 

[stevech]

I keep wanting to spend the time and money to get a cheap 500GB 2.5" external drive and backup all of my important stuff on it and then stuff it in my safe deposite box as a just in case.

Still haven't gotten around to it.

That said, I do have a primary and secondary of everything and I periodically (at least a couple of times a year) backup to a 640GB external HDD that is left disconnected and squirreled away the rest of the year. Speaking of which, I think it is time for my quarterly backup.

PS sadly it does nothing for backing up things like my video collection, which I'd be pretty pissed if I lost, but I'd be devestated if I lost things like my family pictures and stuff, which have the triple backup.

I backup automatically, constantly, with the Time Backup in my NAS, and with the NAS backup daily to a USB3 drive. Automated. Doesn't take long. But I have only 1.5TB of stuff to be backed up.


Don't procrastinate having 3-2-1 Backup.
3 copies; 2 kinds of media; 1 off-site.

I have a good friend that just lost 15 years of treasured digital family photos because she mistakenly thought that a USB drive would be her backup. It failed. She had no other copy. I wish she had asked!

 

[azazel1024]

Primary and secondary is backed up weekly (or manual backups immediately for critical data). Its just the tertiary that has kind of taken a back seat. Still need to get on that. I like my tertiary to only be connected when doing a backup just in case of power surge. I do have a "cloud" backup of an encrypted archive of some of the most critical data (tax returns, some key family pictures and stuff that I've "culled" of important things like some wedding photos, kids birth, a few others) taking up only a couple of GBs that I periodically update and push out again. That one also isn't updated very often.

I've got the belt and suspenders, even if the suspenders tend to be kind of out of data and/or small. I'd be pretty upset if the primary and secondary went. If tertiary went too I'd be really upset, but at least I've got some of the most important stuff squirreled away still.

 

[stevech]

I use much more frequent automated backup. In my work, my hourly rate is high. If I lost a day's work with no backup, it's too expensive in time to recreate the work.

I'm in the overkill club when it comes to backups, and work in process gets very frequent automatic backups. One is setup to backup changes in a certain folder tree every 10 minutes; another is faster yet. Just changes. No perceptible slowing of my work.

And 100% of my work is on the NAS, either because it's "only" there, or because SecondCopy (utility) copies it to the NAS quite frequently.
The NAS gets a daily backup.

 

[azazel1024]

Yeah all of my stuff at home is only personal stuff which doesn't get updated all that often, so weekly for primary backup and less frequent for other stuff is generally fine.

I do generally leave everything on the memory card of my camera few a couple of weeks before I delete/reformat just to make sure that everything has been backed up to my server (or I'll do a manual backup by running synchtoy if really important stuff, like the 12GB of images from my brother-in-laws wedding I took a couple of weeks ago).